Automobile signaling device



April 2, 1935.

D. L. BURNHAM AUTOMOBILE SIGNALING DEVICE Filed Oct. 10, 1932 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IN JENTOR ATTORNEY April 2, 1935.

D. L. BURNHAM AUTOMOBILE S IGNALI NG DEVICE Filed Oct. 10, 1932 2Sheets-Sheet 2 kg M 76' '7 7; W ME AMI 65 Patented Apr. 2,1935 I 1 995 7UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE SIGNALING navroa Dwelle L.Burnham, Washbum, N. Dak.

Application October 10, 1932, Serial No. 637,198 1 Claim. (01. 20M) Theobject of the invention is to provide an ly, therefore, when the switch21 is closed, the automobile signaling device whereby the convenarmature will be energized and will be set into tional auto vehicle hornmay, without modificamotion, the rings l8, l9 and 20 sliding under theirtion thereof, be made to emit sounds of different respective brushes.

pitch; to provide a device of the kind indicated But the said rings aredisposed in surrounding 5 which. may be readily operated from any powerrelation to a commutator 28 which is mounted source carried by thevehicle; and generally to on the heel end 01 the armature 2| but isunconprovide a multiple toned horn sounding device nected with thearmature windings. The said which is of simple form and thereforesusceptible rings are insulated from each other and are re- 10ofcheapmanufacture. cessed on their inner peripheries as indicated at 1With this object in view, the invention consists Z9, 30 and 3|, so thatuniformly spaced feet are in a construction and combination of parts ofprovided on the inner periphery of each ring to which a preferredembodiment is illustrated in bear one each up n e t Segments of th theaccompanying drawings but to which embodicommutator 28; For example, therecesses 29 are ment the invention isnot to be restricted. Con- 'ofgreater angular extent than the recesses 30 15 tinueduse in practice maydictate certain changes andthe latter of greater angular extent than oralterations and the right is claimed to make the recesses 3 that theSegment bearing ee any which fall within the scope of the annexed of thedifferent rings are differently spaced. By

claim. reason of the bearing feet defined by the recesses In thedrawings: 29, the'ring IB'is electrically connected with every 0 Figure1 is aside elevational view ofa motor sixth segment of the commutator".Similarly, armature incorporating the invention. the recesses 80 resultin such spacing of the bear- Figure'2 is an end elevational view of thestrucing feet of the ring l9 that it is connected with ture of Figure-1. every fourth segment, while the recesses 3| leave Figures 3 and 4are sectional views on the bearing feet which will electrically connectthe 2 planes indicated by the lines 3 3 and 44 ring 20 with every othersegment. respectively of Figure 1. Bearing upon the commutator are thebrushes Figure v5 is a diagrammatic view of a circuit 32 and 33 andthese are designed for relative in which the structure of Figure 1 isincluded as adjustment, so that their angular spacing on the an element.commutator maybe varied. The brush 32 is con- 30 Figure 6 is a viewsimilar to Figure 5 but shownected in on the conductor 24 by means of aconing a modified form of the invention. ductor 34, while'the brush 33is connected in par- I Figure Tie a view similar to Figure 5 butshowallel with the brush 32, but in series with a ing still anothermodified form. switch 35. 35 Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view of stillanother If the switch 21 be closed, the armature will 35 modification ofthe invention.- be set in operation by current flowing from the Sincethe purpose of the invention is to cause battery 22 and the horn may beenergized by the automobile signal horn ID to emit sounds of closing anyone of the switches l2, l3 or It. If different pitch, the conventionalmake and break the switch l2 be the one closed, current will flow 40 ofthe horn is cut out and one of its terminals from the battery over theconductor 34 to the 40 grounded as indicated at II, the other terminalbrush 32and each time a segment which is conbeing connected to onecontact of each of the nected with the ring I8 passes under the brush,switches I2. I3 and I4 whose other terminals current will flow throughthe ring, the switch are connected to brushes l5, l6 and I! which l2,through the horn and back to the battery bear upon rings I 8, l9 and 20.r through the ground ll. But the commutator is 45 The rings I8, I 9 and20 are mounted upon an moving at a uniform angular velocity and atarmature 2| designed to rotate in an appropriate uniform intervals willestablish the circuit on magnetic field (not shown) and to, be energizedthe horn, so that the vibrations of the horn diafrom the battery 22which, having one terminal phragm will be uniform and a certain definitegrounded as at 23, has the other terminal consound will be emitted. Ifthe switch l3 be the nected by a conductor 24 with a brush bearing onswitch closed, the ring I9 will be placed in sethe commutator 25 of thearmature, the other ries with the source and the circuit on the hornbrush of said armature being grounded as indiwill be made and broken atuniform intervals, cated at 26. The motor circuit is controlled by ajust as was the case with the ring I8. But the switch 2'l'included inthe conductor 24. Obviousring 19 groups more segments of the commutator55 than the ring it, so that the rate of opening and closing thecircuit, while uniform, will be greater than when the ring l8 wasactive, so that a different sound will be emitted by the horn Ill. Thesame condition" obtains if the switch M be closed, because the ring 23,grouping still a greater number of the segments of the commutator willin crease the rate of opening and closing the circuit, with a consequentincrease in the number of vibrations imparted to the horn III. Thus witha single source, the horn I is caused to emit diiierent sounds,depending on which of the switches l2, l3 or M is closed.

The switch 35 is intended to be used jointly with the switches I2, I3and I4, for if it be closed,

, the brush 33 is placed in circuit and if that be I segment connectedwith one of the rings when the brush 32 falls on such a segment, therate of vibration may be still further increased. For example, with theswitch 35 closed, let it be as- V sumed that the switch I2 is alsojclosedbu't that the brush 33 is sopositioned that when the brush 32 ison a segment connected with the ring 18,

it will be: on one of the segments between the bearing feet defined bythe recesses 29/ The circuit onthe horn will thus be established when aa segment connected with the ring 18 passes under the brush 32 and againwhen such a segment passes under thebrush 33. But the making andbreaking of the circuit by the brush 3'3wi1l intervene between themaking and breaking of the circuit by the brush 32, so that the numberof vibrationswillbe' increased and if the brush 33 is so positioned thatit will result in. doubling the vibrations, a note the octave of thatdue to the brush 32 alone will be sounded by the horn l0. The rings l 9and 23 and their attendant switches l3 and Hi can be made to function inconnection with the two brushes 32 and 33, by operating saidswitcheswhen the switch 35 is closed.

In that form of the invention shown in Figure 6, the commutator and itsassociated rings are replaced with adisk 36 in the face of which aredisposed serie'sof contacts 38, 39 and 40,

these contacts being arranged in concentric 'series of which the numberof units in each differfroni the number of units in any other series.

The disk is driven by a motor'M energized from a battery lZandcontrolledfby a switch 43, the one terminal of the battery and oneterminal of the motor being grounded to provide for asingle'conductoroperation of the motor. "The contacts of the several 3series are grounded as indicated at i l and bearing upon the face arethe brushes i5 so arranged that each one'bears uponone of the series ofcontacts. The brushes are connected one each with the switches 46,

ll, 48 and tithe several switches having their one terminal. connectedin common with one terminal of the horn'5ll whose other terminal isconnected te -the switch 43. When the switch A3 is closed, the motor 4!.will obviously be set in rotation and any one of the switches 46, 41, itor 9 may be closed, when the horn 50 will be subject to energizationbyany one of the series ofcontacts on the disk, depending on which thediaphragm' of theh orn-Will' be subjected to a series of vibrationswhich will cause it to emit a '52 the drum being provided with a seriesof Inthemodification shown .inFigure 8, the

means for'changing the rate of, vibration of the diaphragm'andthe horntlis effected by the use ofelectromagnets 62, 63 andM whose wind-' ingsare connected to the switches 35, 66 and 61 g The switches '65, 66 and6'! all have meterminal connected in common to one terminalof a battery68 whoseother terminal is grounded as indicatedat 69, the horn 6| havingone terminal grounded as indicated at l3. Armatures H, 12 and 13 areconnected in series with the magnets 62, 63 and 64 to functionv ascircuit breakers and these armatures are spring retracted to engage themwith the fixed contacts 14, 15 and 16, all of which are electricallyconnected together and to one terminal of the horn 6|. Adjustment screwsll, 18 and 'lflyarelposi tioned to be engaged by the armatures to limittheir movement toward the magnets.

The springs normally hold thearmaturesin engagement with the fixedcontacts, and ifv a magnet is energized, as by closing its particularswitch, the armature is attracted by the magnet and is withdrawn fromengagement with "the ration between the armature 131 and its fixedcontact 16. 'Ihe' a,djusting screwfl8 is set to provide fora widerseparation between the armature l2 and the fixed contact 15, while theadjusting screw TI is. adjusted for a still wider separation between thearmature H and the contact 74. If the switch 51 be closed, themagnet 34willbe energized and its armature 13 attracted, thus opening the circuitonthe magnet and permitting the spring to return the armature toengagement with the contact 16, when the circuit is reestablished andthe same series of operations is repeated. 'By 1 reason of the adjustingscrew providing for but a Slight separation of the. armature and fixedcontact, the rate of making and breaking the circuit, while uniform, iscomparatively high,

ing and opening will result, and a different sound is emitted by thehorn 6|. A still different tone is emitted by the horn when the switch65 is closed, by reason of the smaller number of vibrations of thearmature ll, due to the setting of its adjusting screw 11 providing fora greater magnitude of movement of the armature in each circuit makingand breaking operation.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and usefulis:

A rotary making and breaking device comprising a rotary member, acommutator composed of a circular series of insulated segments,

bracing still more segments being electrically 10 connected with theremaining ring.

DWELLE L. BURNHAM.

